William has just received the best present of his life. It's an old, real-looking stone and wooden model of a castle, with a drawbridge, moat, and a about the castle. And sure enough, when he picks up the tiny silver knight, it comes alive in his hand!

finger-high knight to guard the gates. It's the mysterious castle his housekeeper has told him about, and even though William is sad she's leaving, now the castle is his!

William can't wait to play with it--he's certain there's something magical Sir Simon tells William a mighty story of wild sorcery, wizards, and magic. And suddenly William is off on a fantastic quest to another land and another time--where a fiery dragon and an evil wizard are waiting to do battle . . . .

From the Paperback edition. Download and start listening now!

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Quotes & Awards

An absorbing fantasy...suspense and colorful details, as well as a gentle moral precept, make the story special.Publishers Weekly

Winner of the 1987 Dorothy Canfield Fisher Children’s Book Award

Winner of the 1989 California Young Reader Medal for Intermediate Readers

Listener Opinions

Cassie | 2/12/2014

" Wonderful children's book. Every child should read this book - up to the caliber of the Cronicles of Narnia - a wonderful world of fantasy, this time told from the eyes of a child. "

Erika | 2/3/2014

" Very cute read. A little disgusting with eating mice, but how William grows enough and finds the courage to complete his quest is nice. "

Jennifer | 1/21/2014

" Reading this with a 4th grade reading group and they are absolutely enthralled! I finished the book recently and did enjoy it, as well. "

Unwisely | 1/21/2014

" I had picked this up while sitting around at a friend's, and she offered to let me borrow it. It's a YA novel, and a bit stuck on believing in oneself making all things possible (not the fact that he trained hard, which seemed more relevant). But for all that it was readable. *shrug* "

Rachel | 1/14/2014

" This was a book I remember checking out of my school library in fourth grade and just loving. It seemed so very magical to me. I have reread it a couple times. It isn't as thrilling anymore, but the memories of the thrill made it satisfying. "

Carrie | 1/8/2014

" This is a fun, older chapter book. "

Ellen | 1/5/2014

" Reading to Von - a gift from Grandma. (as most of our books that I loved as a kid are!) Have to admit I skipped ahead and read finished it w/out him earlier this week. "

Mercedes | 12/22/2013

" This is a fun magical adventure. I was surprised how engaging the story and characters were for it's reading level. "

Kelly | 12/16/2013

" Good kids with magic and knights and a castle. The ending is a little clunky, but a fun. "

Alison | 12/8/2013

" I love this book. :) I've listened to it on tape lots of times. :) "

Joshua | 12/6/2013

" A well-paced book that my 4th graders enjoyed very much. Both boys and girls were engrossed in this story that includes magic, knights, time travel, and more. Good themes underlying the story--courage, friendship, values, etc. "

Abi | 11/27/2013

" it sounded not like the best book ever but it was!!!! "

Matt | 11/3/2013

" This was an amazing book when I read it in elementary or middle school. I was excited to read the whole thing back then. "

Grace | 11/2/2013

" very descriptive "

Rachel | 11/2/2013

" It was very good, I enjoyed all of the different scenes. "

Becky | 10/28/2013

" Great book for pre-teens, but I really enjoyed it too. It's a fantasy/adventure. When William's housekeeper decides to move back to England, she gives William a gift...a model castle, and that is where it all begins. "

Kikki | 7/17/2013

" My super Favorite book when I was little. Read it about 50 times XD. "

Ellie Elli | 5/12/2013

" One of my favorites from elementary school... Happy to be sharing it withy fourth graders :) "

Katrina | 8/25/2012

" A great book that I read as a kid. So engrossing. I enjoyed it right from the start. I'd actually probably still get a kick out of reading it today. Great for kids who are particularly imaginative. "

Amie | 8/21/2012

" one of my favorite books when i was a kid. "

Miguel | 6/25/2012

" One of my favorite books. "

Hpboy13 | 6/19/2012

" This is a real gem of a book! I absolutely loved it as a kid, and still do! "

Amber Leavitt | 10/18/2011

" Brooklyn's 4th grade class read this book, so when we went on vacation we listened to the audio, we were all entertained. Tracy joked and would say "When's the Indian going to be coming into the story?" It's like the Indian in the cupboard. "

Cynthia | 9/10/2011

" I read this book to my 7 year old and we really enjoyed reading it together. "

allie | 9/6/2011

" so we read this in our book group and um it was in 4th grade and it was pretty good i mean it was not at all my fav but not the worst.... "

Ayelet Cooper | 8/26/2011

" Watching Game of Thrones reminded me of this book that I read as a child (it must have been one of the first Fantasy books I ever read). I remember reading it over and over, becoming utterly and completely engrossed by the medieval world Winthrop created. "

Mimi | 8/5/2011

" Good read, even the second time! "

Melanie | 6/17/2011

" Great story filled with lots of action and great morals. The kids really enjoyed it. I read and enjoyed this book as a child, too. "

Ariadne | 5/9/2011

" I read this when I was a lot younger, and I remember thoroughly enjoying it. But now that I'm a little wiser I wonder if I would still think it wonderful.
"

Brittany | 4/30/2011

" A truly absorbing fantasy, full of suspense highlighted by colorful details.
"

" Great book for pre-teens, but I really enjoyed it too. It's a fantasy/adventure. When William's housekeeper decides to move back to England, she gives William a gift...a model castle, and that is where it all begins.
"

Elizabeth | 3/18/2011

" i ABSOLUTELY Love this book, i read it a long time ago but i still remember it like it was yesterday.
"

Laurin | 3/9/2011

" This was the first book over 100 pages I ever read. I remembered that I liked it. I was so proud of myself for finishing it.
"

Jaclyn | 3/8/2011

" I read this book in elementary school! I love it!!!
"

Jill | 3/8/2011

" This was a happy trip down memory lane.
"

Cheryl | 3/5/2011

" When William learns that his beloved nanny will be returning to England, he uses a magical token to transport both of them to a medieval castle where the Silver Knight and an evil magician await them! This is an exciting adventure tale for junior readers!
"

Hilary | 2/21/2011

" Cute! Also, nice to see a homey kids fantasy about a boy (an ATHLETIC boy, no less).
"

Jeri | 2/14/2011

" I don't think this is the book I was looking for but I was entertained by it. The story was cute with an imaginative plot. It was a little to juvenile for my taste.
"

Blukany | 2/10/2011

" I think it was the one of the best books I have read. It was about a boy that got a castle from Mrs.Phillips,and the knight became alive.

Other Titles by Elizabeth Winthrop:

About the Author

Elizabeth Winthrop, the author of over sixty works of fiction for all ages, was born in Washington, DC. Her award-winning titles for children include the Castle in the Attic series. Her short story “The Golden Darters” was a selected for Best American Short Stories by Robert Stone. Under the name Elizabeth Winthrop Alsop, she is the author of the memoir piece Don’t Knock Unless You’re Bleeding. She is currently working on a personal history about her parents’ love affair during World War II. The daughter of Stewart Alsop, the political journalist, she divides her time between New York City and the Berkshires.

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